Dare Truth or Promise

There isn't much that I can say about this novel that other people have already said. I can say that this book was so unbelievably incredible, it left me with my head spinning for days after I read it. The writing alone is utterly brilliant. This book is filled with honest, clever and elegant prose that I think future writers should take note on. As for the story, I don't think there was a better way Paula Boock could have delivered it. It wasn't simply a story of two girls having a lesbian fling. It's a story of deep, painful, heart-wrenching love and the tortures people can endure in this life. The novel was centred on the main characters Louie and Willa, but readers got to see other characters' perspective on the situation. Every minor character was given their own dues. This is not a novel where the author forgets about her 'background' characters, and I appreciate that she cares for them, instead of just sticking them in for plot progression. Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the themes building off of love. Familial love, self-love, the strength of friendship, that is, platonic love, and most importantly, passionate love for another human being. It was almost difficult for me to read this novel; it hurt too much. The realism of which this story is told is gripping and beautiful. Also, it isn't a fairy tale. These characters face so much anguish that none of them deserve. Pick up this book. Read it. You might be in tears at the end.

This was a great book. Whether your are gay, bi, straight, or curious, you will enjoy it. It answers the questions a curious mind may have... and it helped me to decide to come out. I reccomend it to anyone. Even if you just want to read something, this is good reading, otherwise my school library wouldn't own it.

a trim but suggestive narrative style makes this story of young lesbian love something worth reading even after you're long past the high school years. In terms of sheer literary quality, it stands up there with Jean Stewart's lovely Emerald City Blues (though the latter is considerably more explicit, and not so tightly focused on the main protagonists' personal angst). Anyway, Boock can really write.

The reason this book caught my eye was that it had a young pair of lesbians. But upon reading it, I realized that this book was much more than the average lesbian love story. This book had no sappy ending about love overcoming all odds, and it showed people in their environments. There was a different flavor that some people may not like, but I totally enjoyed.